Beautiful Soul
by Paopu Pop
Summary: SEQUEL TO LLOYD'S SICK!: Back on the road to collect Expheres, convince the world to accept, and to win a love. :Title based on song used in fanfic:rated for my safety:some light references:shonen ai:LxZ:


**A/N: Hey, if you haven't _Lloyd's Sick!, _go my bio and read it before reading this. Because this is the sequel!****Lloyd: So it's a song. Big deal.  
****Genki: It's the set up for the third part!!  
****Lloyd: O.O; _Third _part?  
****Genki: n.n Yup! Just wait. o.o; Hey, Lloyd, while you're here, do the disclaimer!  
****Lloyd: � Genki doesn't own anything someone else owns.  
****Genki: Duh! n.n This fanfic uses the song _Beautiful Soul _sung by Jesse McCartney, but the lyrics (the _important _part) were written by Adam Watts and Andy Dodd, I think. I know, a lameo song, but hey! I listen to lameo music. XD And the lyrics are practically perfect.**

**NOTE: The words in a defined line of bold/italics are lyrics, of course.**

**That includes when they're being said. (I don't hold the originality of that use of lyrics in a fanfic either, my friend did it in a fanfic once.)

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_**Beautiful Soul**_

_**I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul**_

It was right after they got back from the hotsprings. Zelos waited for someone in the empty bedroom, having his towel wrapped around his waist. The door clicked and opened.

"Lloyd!" He glomped the one he had waited for.

"Ack! Zelos!" His face flushed as their skin softly brushed against each other's.

"Did I surprise you?"

"You always do," he scoffed. "Would you just let me change?"

"It's all serious with you!" Zelos let go, but continued to grin.

". . . that means _leave, _Zelos."

"Okay, okay. I can take a hint."

"That wasn't a hint. It was a command."

He left as the door shut behind him. "Ah, Lloyd, why are you avoiding me?" He sighed as he slid down the door with his back. "Oh! I guess I should change too!" He jumped to his feet and ran to his own room.

_**I know that you are something special  
To you I'd be always faithful  
I want to be what you always needed  
Then I hope you'll see the heart in me**_

After he changed, the redhead laid down on his bed in deep thought.

_Girls, girls, girls. . . most of my life, it's been girls. Not that I still don't love them, but they're all too. . . giddy. Lloyd's different. He's bouncy, upbeat, sincere, brave, but never **giddy. **I think I'd scream if he was giddy! Not to mention the guy's pretty sexy himself. I mean, if he were a **girl, **his brea--_

His thoughts were cut off when another thought rose to mind. "Shoot! I forgot to tell Sebastian to pack for me!" He ran out and bumped into another person, causing both to fall onto the floor.

"Ouch!" He rubbed his arse as he looked to see whom he had knocked over.

"Sorry, Zelos, I wasn't watching where I was going," Lloyd said, as he got up and held out a hand. "Need help?"

"Naw, but I'll take it anyway." Zelos took his hand and he was helped to his feet. "So, why were you headin' this way? It's nothing but a dead end!"

He chuckled until Lloyd spoke up quietly. "I was coming over to apologize for yelling at you."

_**I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul**_

Zelos laughed. "It's all right!" He patted Lloyd's back. "It's all water under the bridge or over the dam, or whatever the hell you want to do with it." He continued on, leaving Lloyd shortly behind, before he was too caught up in the moment to tell Sebastian to pack that bag for tomorrow. . .

_Just like Lloyd. Kind and sincere._

_But I wonder if I can ever win you over? I've already tried so hard. . ._

"What was that, Master Zelos?" Sebastian asked.

"Huh?"

"You said, 'I've already tried so hard.'"

"I was speaking out loud again, wasn't I?"

"Yes, sir," Sebastian nodded as Zelos sighed.

"Whoops. . . anyway, I need you to pack my bag for tomorrow's trip."

"Yes, sir." Sebastian walked off as he sighed again.

_At **least **that wasn't **Lloyd. . .**_

"What was that?" the swordsman asked as his slapped his head.

"Nothing!"

_Of course._

_**You're the one I want to chase  
You're the one I want to hold  
I won't let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul**_

The next morning, everyone had a bag in hand. Noishe finally showed up in the story after Chapter 1 of _Lloyd's Sick!, _waiting outside. Goodbyes were said and done, and the group headed off to collect Expheres, convince the world to accept half-elves, and to win a love.

"So, Lloyd. . ."

"What is it, Zelos?"

"Uh. . . never mind. Forget it."

"Now I wanna know! What?"

"Well, uh, are you afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you? No, I guess not."

"You guess?"

"Um, yeah." Lloyd pressed forward more quickly, trying to catch up with the rest, but more importantly, avoiding the subject.

_So much for **sincere. . . **Oh well. I'll always have other chances to talk to him. . ._

_**You might need time to think it over  
But I'm just fine moving forward  
I'll ease your mind  
If you give me the chance  
I will never make you cry  
C'mon let's try**_

Several days passed, and it was now night. Still out in the middle of nowhere, camp was set up. A fire kept burning as Raine watched it silently with her brother sleeping in her lap. Colette was fast asleep in a sleeping bag herself, and Zelos laid in his own, having removed his vest and gloves. He looked at the stars twinkling in the sky when he heard the rustling of leaves beside him. A person sat next to his side, looking at Zelos.

"You still awake?"

"Course!" Zelos replied with a smile. "'sup, Lloyd?"

"Um, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But what's with the sudden concern?"

"Well, it's just. . ." There was a short pause, a collection of thoughts, before he continued. "You've been acting a little bit. . . unlike your usual self."

"Go on. . ."

"You've left me alone. Actually, you haven't flirted with_ anyone _we've seen. Which is something very new. So I thought that maybe you had caught what I had or something? . . ." He looked to his friend, who just kept smiling.

"Ah, I see. No, I didn't get your bug." He chuckled as Lloyd didn't seem convinced.

"But. . . then, why. . ."

"I guess it's just a bit complicated," he lied. Though love was complicated, the thought of it wasn't a complicated concept. At least at the moment anyway.

_**I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul**_

For a few minutes, only crickets chirped and the fire crackled softly. By this point, Raine had fallen asleep herself. Only the two swordsmen remained awake.

"What are you looking at?" Lloyd noticed how Zelos had been just staring straight into the sky.

"The stars. They're awfully bright. And not a cloud in sight."

He looked up to see what he meant. "Yeah, you're right."

"Here, lay down, you'll strain your neck," he chuckled, pulling Lloyd softly down in his sleeping bag. They both stared into the night sky, and just for a few moments, everything seemed at peace.

"Hey, Zelos?"

_"Now_ what?" He laughed. "Just kidding. What's up?"

"Why is-- are emotions so complicated?"

It was a sudden and odd question. And even odder to ask someone like Zelos. But supposing that he had flirted so much, he knew a thing or two about emotions.

"They just. . . are, I guess."

"Like, sometimes we just can't help the way we feel, right?"

"Of course." The conversation got stranger by the second.

"So, sometimes. . . why is it wrong to feel the way we do?"

Somehow, Zelos got a hunch that he was going in a direction that Zelos "specialized" in. "It's not."

"But then why don't others accept it?"

Zelos heaved a sigh. "I guess they're the ones that are wrong. Didn't we defeat Mithos because of that? Discrimination?"

"But some things are morally wrong. . ."

"Morals are set by people themselves, who discriminate. So why follow their morals?"

"Yeah, but--" Lloyd turned to his side. "Never mind, it was a dumb thing to ask."

From there, the conversation was stopped. Before either of them realized it, the brunette had fallen asleep, in _Zelos' _sleeping bag. Crawling out, he folded the sleeping bag back over the sleeping teenager, then got up to sit by the fire.

_I wonder what **that **was about. But I wonder more, was he talking about. . .?_

_**You're the one I want to chase  
You're the one I want to hold  
I won't let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul**_

He extended his hands nearer to the fire to warm them. It seemed so odd. How _had _he fallen in love with Lloyd? He'd never taken the question into mind. What _were _morals? In fact, a wheel of questions spun in his head. But a couple in particular stuck out.

Lloyd woke up again in the next few moments. Realizing his companion was by the fire, he got up to see what he was doing, but became quieter as he heard Zelos talking to himself.

_**"Am I crazy for wanting you?  
Baby do you think you could want me too?  
I don't wanna waste your time. . .  
Do you see things the way I do?  
I just want to know that you feel it too. . ."**_

He stopped when he saw his own friend standing behind him. He blushed as he was guided by Zelos to sit beside him.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it, I think." Lloyd reddened more. "Are you talking about. . . me?"

Zelos sighed, somewhat embarrassed, but happy.

**_"There is nothing left to hide." _**Zelos extended his arm and held Lloyd's chin.

**_"I don't want another pretty face." _**His hand slid up to hold his one cheekbone.**_  
"I don't want just anyone to hold." _**His other arm reached and gently held the side of his shoulder.**_  
"I don't want my love to go to waste.  
"I want you and your beautiful soul."_**

**_"You're the one I want to chase,  
"You're the one I want to hold." _**His forehead touched the others. Lloyd was completely flushed at this point.**_  
"I won't let another minute go to waste.  
"I want you and your soul."_**

And without warning, their lips pressed against each other's, as they got more passionate. Their mouths opened, and for a minute or two, they were in a tight, but graceful lock until there was a release.

"Z-Zelos. . ." Lloyd stammered, surprised and embarrassed. "I-I mean, um. . ."

"Is _that _what you were talking about earlier?"

"Mm hmm." He nodded and looked away. "I feel so stupid. . ."

"Why's that?"

"This. . . it isn't. . . right at all."

"Like I said, morals are made by people who discriminate themselves."

"But even the laws of _nature _go against this!" Tears grew in his eyes as Zelos held him comfortingly.

"Think of it this way. I believe that you really like someone if no matter what you do, it won't stop bugging you. It constantly pulls until you feel like you could burst. And being around them makes you happy or sad, depending on your situation. That's my opinion on it, anyway."

"But. . . still!"

"What about all the kids without parents? Since we, well, can't have kids, obviously, we need to adopt one without a home. See? It's just a balance of nature."

"I thought that was for a couple who couldn't have kids because--"

"Well, they're included too, but that's just not enough." Zelos patted his sobbing friend's head. "Just follow your heart."

"You're one to talk," he joked between sobs, and he sniffled as the Chosen chuckled softly.

"Well, all those girls, they aren't really for me. I mean, I'll still take a girl, but. . ." He smiled, although Lloyd couldn't see it. "You're all I need, Lloyd."

"Really?" He looked up, revealing his puffy, red face, just to see Zelos' warm, comforting smile.

"Yeah." He kissed his forehead. "You're all I want and need."

"Same with me." He wrapped his arms around him and buried his face into his chest as Zelos embraced him too.

**_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul

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_**

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, so it was a quick sequel. Actually, the one part Zelos tells Lloyd about, when he's talking about his belief on what love is, "it constantly pulls until you feel like you could burst. . ." blahblahblah, that's actually quoting myself when I was IMing my cousin. XD I needed some Zelly lines.**

**But when he starts talking about balances of nature, I don't really believe in that. It's a nice thought, but it's not really _true. . . _You can take my little lecture, I don't care. o.o;**

**I loved writing this though! n.n Since the first time I heard the song on the radio, I started scribbling random lyrics, found some, and then taped it from the radio and got the CD for Christmas. XD**

**Kame's convinced to look up "morals." So, Kame, what's da definition of "moral"?**

**Kame: ::holding dictionary::**

**Morel: (n) Any edible mushroom of the genus_ Morchella _characterized by a deeply furrowed brownish cap.**

**Genki: _Moral _not Mo_rel!! _**

**Kame: XD I know. You know there's ten different definitions here? Do you just want me to just give you the most appropriate one here?**

**Genki: Yeah, go ahead.**

**Kame: Well, I can tell you one thing, it's not number six.**

**Genki: What's number six?**

**Kame: Number six. ::points to it::**

**Genki: Virtuous in se--**

**Kame: NO! Don't type that!**

**Genki: n.n; Eh heh. Well, give us the defintion.**

**Moral: of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: _moral attitudes. _**

**That's the first definition anyway. o.o; There's like 10 different ones in here. . . -.-; Stupid dictionary.**

**Please review! And yes, there's even _more! _It's just not written yet. So, uh, of course, look for it!**


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